Tips for hosting AND actually being present

Relishing the scene with your beloveds: Tips for hosting AND actually being present

Because you’re worth lapping up all the romance, too.

Create an effortlessly impressive menu of which 80% can be prepared in advance – what’s the point in hosting your faves if you’re missing all the tea being spilled at the table because you’re running back to the kitchen every 20 seconds?!
A little pre-planning goes a LONG way here: opt for share-style recipes (i.e. no need for individual plating-up) that can be prepared the day before and simply reheated/assembled/zhuzhed up with a drizzle of good olive oil, sprinkles of flaky salt, and fresh herb garnishes when your guests arrive. The less hands-on attention your menu demands once the doorbell rings, the better.
Everything on this menu was pre-prepared: I made the Moreton Bay bug filling the day before and simply stuffed the shells on the night; the stuffed zucchini flowers were baked (not fried) earlier that morning so they only needed to be reheated before serving and finished with honey and flaky sea salt; and all elements of the burrata dish were pre-made and only needed to be assembled and garnished with basil.

A killer playlist is absolutely essential – Think sexy-funky-jazzy if you’re really leaning into the Dolce Vita meet-me-at-midnight vibe (this playlist is so good), OR some girly 90s throwback magic . I’d personally start with the former, then progress to the latter as quickly as possible because you (usually) won’t be able to get away with smashing All Saints and Tina Arena on repeat when the guys are around.

Delegate, delegate, delegate! – Let’s normalise NOT sending the “bring nothing but your sexy selves!” text. Your friends love you, they want to help you, they respect your bank account. So let them. Delegate rosé/Aperol/mocktail duties, flower arrangement, or side salad/dessert queen designation.
Make sure your guests know what it means when you’re boiling the kettle at 10pm – because we are 32 going on 90 over here and god knows we need our slumber.

And then, at the end of the night, as your beloveds cuddle under the festoon lights clinking their mismatched wine glasses and mugs of camomile tea, you’ll know that true romance is right here – in the laughter, in the candlelight, in the warm and fuzzy words of affirmation being shared around the table, in the bonds with the women who make your world shine and your singleness feel far from lonely.

By Ashlyn Lincoln
IG @ashlynlincoln